Wednesday 3rd August 2005

Power-boosting Mini kit goes factory-fit

Cooper Works kit adds 40bhp and more top speed

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Mini Cooper S Works on the line

From October, the 210bhp John Cooper Works (JCW) engine tuning kit will be available as a factory-fit option when ordering a Mini Cooper S in either hatch or convertible form, and costs an extra £3,600.

The kit adds 40bhp to the 170bhp S, and boosts top speed from the Cooper S's 137mph to 143mph, reaching 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds -- the S makes it in 7.2 seconds.

The Works features a modified cylinder head with higher compression, modified engine electronics and increased throughput injectors. The factory option will also include the following JCW products as standard: air filter system, 16-inch brake discs, exhaust pipe finisher, front apron and tailgate badges, and certificate of authenticity. A limited slip differential is also included in the cost.

Mike Cooper, managing director of John Cooper Works, has been heavily involved in the introduction of the kits at Plant Oxford. He said: "I’m pleased that the partnership with the new Mini has been such a success. The kits offered as a factory fit option show how closely we work together and will provide us at John Cooper Works with more time to develop further high performance products."

The JCW kit will still be available to Mini Cooper S owners as a retrofit offered by all 157 UK Mini dealerships and John Cooper Works garage in West Sussex. Cost is £2,999 (inc. VAT, plus 10 hours’ labour). The retrofit does not include the additional specification included on the line of JCW sports brakes and limited slip differential.

The John Cooper workshop said they'd fitted only 400 kits to date in the UK, so the kit puts you in some reasonably exclusive machinery.

[wab172uk]

They've only fitted 400?
At that price I can see why. The Prodrive Performance Pack for the Scoob looks like a bargin in comparison.

[Andy]

Nearly £100.00 per horsepower seems a bit expensive, but I guess the brakes & LSD are probably half the cost. Plus theres the exhaust pipe finisher!!!

[fsmlittler]

There are any number of companies that will modify your Cooper 's' to over 200bhp for nearer £1000 and the factory option LSD is currently £100.
I used Graham Goode Racing and did 40000 miles with no problems whatsoever-no mention at service etc so sod paying that much to JCW!

[roop]

16 inch discs...? Are they serious...? 400mm brakes on a MINI ferchissakes. Whatever next...?

[rich-uk]

Well if you've ever tried stopping a MINI after a spirited drive you'll understand that the standard brakes are woefully inadequate.

The JCW kit is a rip off, the only reason to get it it you keep your warranty and TLC.

[roop]

Perhaps it just needs *better* brakes...? If similar levels of cost cutting applied to the engine were applied to the brakes then I can see how they would be crap. The issue is more the physical size of the brakes and how they are blatantly too big. Or maybe they are getting round crap quality brakes by installing bigger ones...? Such massive discs on a car of that size is surely a) Pointless and b) Going to knacker the ride and handling by upping the unsprung weight so dramatically.

My Type-R is similar size and weight to a MINI, and runs IIRC, 12 inch discs on the front which I think are huge for the size of car. Despite some very spirited driving I have only ever got a slight fade and this was with heavily worn pads. To put it in perspective, the latest Porsche 997 Turbo has 330mm (13 inch) discs up front. You just need better quality not neccessarily bigger.

Anyhooo, what sized wheels will they need to fit those brakes on the MINI...? 19's...?

rich-uk said:

Well if you've ever tried stopping a MINI after a spirited drive you'll understand that the standard brakes are woefully inadequate.

>> Edited by roop on Thursday 4th August 13:06

[tony*t3]

The story is poor;y written and the reference to the brakes is wrong, The JCW replacement brakes are only 300mm in diameter. The reference to 16"s is probably the fact that you need 16" mini wheels minimum to have them fitted - they won't fit under standard 15" steel wheels. Standard Mini brakes are definatly a week point on a 'performance car', but the reports are that the JCW brakes aren't a great deal better.

The reference to 'only 400' kits sold is also misleading. It means that JCW garage in worthing has only fitted 400 kits, but theres 157 other BMW dealers out there fitting kits too. They have certainly sold over 6000 kits world wide, many in the UK.

The question of cost of the JCW kit has been widely discussed in Mini circles. It quite frankly isn't worth the cost when you compare to other non BMW tuning companies - some offer the same power for as little as £700 now. However, thats not the point - is it? Many companies offer good products cheaply, but people still buy expensive products that work just the same. Why buy a Rolex when a Brietling is just as good? Why buy a Brietling when a Seiko tell the time just as well? Why buy a Seiko when a Seconda is half the price? Why buy a Seconda when a Casio will serve you better - its all about marketing.

[dino ferrana]

The John Cooper Works Kit doesn't affect your warranty and went through the whole BMW assesment programme before being approved. That means the cars did the full reliability testing etc.

JCW replace the supercharger when most others don't. They must know something the others don't about the longevity of the superchargers at higher boost pressures!

[roop]

Aha...! That makes more sense...!

tony*t3 said:

The story is poorly written and the reference to the brakes is wrong, The JCW replacement brakes are only 300mm in diameter. The reference to 16"s is probably the fact that you need 16" mini wheels minimum to have them fitted

[Reckless]

I work at the Mini plant at Oxford and i got a chance to take one for a quick spin when the managers weren't around. They definateley feel a bit quicker and you can notice the diffference in the braking, dunno what it'll feel like after a cainning but once i get to test one on the test track i'll let you know. I tried asking different people at the plant what the upgrades were and i kept getting different answers such as "its a two litre" and "its 240 bhp" and "its a 1.8". All I know is I wouldn't buy the car let alone the kit. Its about quantity not quality at that plant. Get em out the gates as quick as possible, gotta get that end of year bonus. I hope no managers from the plant are members on here.

[paulg40]

dino ferrana said:

JCW replace the supercharger when most others don't. They must know something the others don't about the longevity of the superchargers at higher boost pressures!

I phoned up JCW about getting hold of 15% smaller pullies for my 2005 Spec Eaton M45 charger for my Polo. They said they do not stock any smaller pullies.

They replace the superchargers because the smaller pulley fitment is not done by JCW themselves. Rather, it is sent to Eaton USA who then fit them (must be something to do with Eaton Warrenty and BMW) and the rotors are coated in a new material.
The new 2005 Mini Cooper S's are now all supplied from manufacture with the new 2005 spec 'coated rotor' Eaton charger.